Hat, coat, and umbrella rack.



No. 792,942. PATENTED JUNE 20, 1905. W. J. STBPPLER.

HAT, GOAT, AND UMBRELLA RACK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. s, 1904.

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Patented June 20, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. STEFFLER, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA.

HAT, COAT, AND UMBRELLA RACK- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 792,942, dated June 20, 1905.

Application filed September 3, 1904. Serial No. 223,251.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM J. STEEFLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Anderson, in the county of Madison and State of Indiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hat, Coat, and Umbrella Racks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a rack for holding a coat, hat, and umbrella or similar article, more especially for that type used in public places and which have a locking device ap plied thereto for preventing the articles placed on the rack from being accidentally or surreptitiously removed.

The object of the invention is to provide a frame supplied with suitable supports for holding the articles mentioned, and a vertically-movable bar to which is attached an independent means for engaging each article suspended on the rack, and a lock for securing the bar in engaged position and holding it in said position until a keyin this instance a numbered check fitting but one lockis applied to the lock and after a suitable manipulation of said lock the bar is free to be raised for enabling the articles to be removed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure-1 is a face view of the improved rack, thelocking device being raised to receive such articles as are to be hung on the rack. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rack, the locking device be- Fig. 3 is a similar view of the upper portion of the rack, showing in open position a hat-locking arm. Fig. 4 is a plan View of that portion of the device for looking a coat or an umbrella or cane against accidental or unlawful removal. Fig. 5 is a vertical central section through the lock proper. Fig. 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the lock on the line a a, Fig. 5.

Similar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The numeral 1 indicates a base plate or frame of suitable contour and ornamentation, as desired, and capable of being secured firmly against a wall. At the upper end of the frame 1 is attached a slide-bearing 2, through which a rod 3 is adapted to move in a vertical direction. Projecting forward from the lower end of the frame is a peg or hook 4, on which a coat or similar article may be hung. The base of said hook or peg is slotted to receive thelower end of the bar 3 and form a hearing therefor.

Secured to one side of the frame 1, near its lower end, is a lock 5, while on the opposite side are two projecting pegs 6 6, between which an umbrella, cane, parasol, or like article may be suspended.

Extending outwardly from the frame 1, about intermediate its vertical dimension, is a bracket 7 having an upstanding portion, the rear face 8 of which is curved, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, to guide the movement of a lever 9, pivoted on the barB.

The bar 3, which lies against the base 1, is capable of being moved vertically in the hearing and the slot in the peg or hook 4.

Formed integrally with or attached to the bar 3 is a skeleton plate 10, having an arm 11 projecting therefrom over the pegs 6 and carrying a cover 12, which lies over the peg or hook 4 and agarmentsuspended therefrom. A notched pin 13 projects downwardly from the under side of the skeleton plate in position to enter an opening 14 in the top of the lock 5, hereinafter described.

The lever 9, heretofore mentioned, is pivoted at 15 to the bar 3 and has astraight portion 16, through which a pin 17 passes and bears against the curved or cam surface 8 of the bracket 7. The upper end of the lever 9 is bent rearwardly at 18 and carriesa ring or loop 19, which when in locked position fits around the crown of a hat to hold it in place.

In operating the device thus far described the bar 3 is raised, as in Fig. 1, thus uncovering the peg or hook 4 and the pegs 6, the lever 9 at the same time assuming the position indicated by Fig. 3. A coat or other garment may now be hung on the hook 4, the handle of a cane or umbrella slid between the pegs 6, and the crown of a hat placed in the ring or loop 19. If the bar 8 bedrawn down, as shown in Fig. 2, the cover 12 extends over that portion of the coat hanging on the peg or hook 4 and the arm 11 lies across the pegs 6. The garment and umbrella are thus secured against removal. The pivot 15, moving down with the bar 3, will cause the pin 17 to ride over the curved surface 8 of the bracket 7 until the lever-arms are in upright position and clasp the brim of the hat between the wall and the loop 19. The lever 9 is prevented from moving or tilting forward by the pin 17 which remains in contact with the upstanding portion of the bracket 7 To hold the bar 3 and its several parts in locked position, a lock 5 (illustrated in detail by Figs. 5 and 6) is employed. As shown in said figures, the lock-body consists of side plates 20, end plates 21, and a partition 22. The top and bottom of the lock-body are closed by slide-plates 23 and 24, respectively, which plates extend beyond the lock-body and are connected by a handpiece 25 in order that they may be moved in unison. The upper side plate 23 has formed therethrough alongitudinal opening 14 and a transverse opening 26, the length of the latter being equal to the width of the lock-body. The plate 24 has a notch, groove, or recess 27 immediately below the opening 26 for the purpose hereinafter described. Centrally pivoted in the plate 21 and the partition 22 is a sliding shaft 28, to which is attached a notched linger 29. A coil-spring 3O surrounds the shaft, one end in engagement with said notched finger, while the other end bears against the side of the lock. The spring 30 performs a double function that of keeping the notched finger in upright position and holding it against the partition 22. Projecting from the side of the partition opposite the notched finger 29 are two or more pins 31 in line with the perforations 32 in a key or check 33. To disengage the locking device, the key or check is inserted in the slot 26 and pushed downward until its lower end enters the notch, groove, or recess 27 in the lower sliding plate 24. The sliding plates 23 and 24 are then pushed inwardly, carrying the key or check 23 with them. The latter striking the end of the shaft 28 pushes it laterally against the force of the spring 30 until the notched finger 29 on said shaft is disengaged from the notched pin 13, thus releasing the lockingdevice, which may be raised and the article removed from the rack. The pins 31 register with the perforations 32 in the key or check 33, thus permitting the key to operate on the shaft 28. Should a false key or check 33 be inserted in the lock, the perforations 32 therein would not register with the pins 31, which would prevent the lock from being operated. It is to be understood that in each lock the'pins 31 are differently placed from those of every other lock, and the perforations in each key or check are disposed in line with the pins of the lock which it is to open. After raising the locking device to remove the articles from the rack the slide-plates 23 and 24 are relieved from pressure, and under the influence of the spring 30 they are returned to normal position, the notched finger 29 being at all times ready to engage the notched pin 13. When the locking device is lowered, the beveled end of the pin 13 strikes the beveled end of the notched finger 29, which is forced backward until their respective notches are in line, when the finger will engage the pin 13.

While one form only of the device is here in shown and described, it is apparent that various changes in construction and arrangement, such as fall within the scope of the appended claims, may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a supporting plate or frame, a coat peg or hook near its lower end, parallel pegs at one side thereof, and a cam-bracket, combined with a vertically-slidable bar on said supportingplate, said bar carrying a cover for said coatpeg and an arm extending over the parallel pegs, a pivoted lever on said bar adapted to be operated by said cam-bracket when the bar is moved, and a hat-holding device carried by said lever.

2. In a device of the character described, a supporting plate or frame, a coat peg or hook near its lower end, parallel pegs at one side thereof, a lock on the opposite side of said coat-peg, and a cam-bracket, combined with a vertically-slidable bar on said supportingplate, said bar carrying a cover for said coatpeg and an arm extending over the parallel pegs, a pivoted lever on said bar adapted to be operated by said cam-bracket when the bar is moved, and a hat-holding device carried by said lever.

3. In a support of the character described, a supporting plate or frame, a coat peg or hook, parallel pegs at one side thereof, and a lock on the opposite side of said coat-peg, and a cam bracket combined with a vertically-slidable bar on said supporting-frame, a plate projecting forwardly from said bar and carrying a cover for the coat peg or hook, an arm extending over said parallel pegs and a depending notched pin to engage with said look when the bar is drawn down, a lever pivoted to said. arm and adapted to be operated by said cambracket when the bar is moved, and a ring or loop on said pivoted lever.

4. In a device of the character described, a garment-holder, a movable element for opening and closing said holder, said element having a locking projection, a lock comprising a casing having an opening for the passage thereinto of said projection, said casing having a slidable portion, a coacting element in the easing, a spring-actuated slide-shaft carrying said element, and means normally operating to prevent retraction of said shaft and the locking element carried thereby, but adapted to permit of the engagement of said shaft by a key of proper construction when said key is inserted in the lock and the sliding portion thereof is moved to carry the key toward said shaft.

5. A device of the character described comprising a supporting frame or plate, a bar slidable thereon, a lock on the frame at one side of the bar, an article-holder on the frame at the opposite side of the bar, and projections extending laterally from the bar, one of said projections having an element to engage and be held by the lock and the other serving to come into position and confine an article in said holder when the bar is moved to a determined position.

6. A device of the character described comprising a frame or plate, a bracket on said frame provided with a cam portion, a pivoted of the bracket to swing said device closed when the same is moved in one direction, and a sliding operating element for actuating said device.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination of a frame, a bar slidably mounted thereon, a hat-holding lever pivoted to the bar and carrying a hat-support, a projection on said lever, and an element carried by the frame and having a cam-surface engaged by said projection to swing the lever closed when the bar is slid in one direction.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM J. STEFFLER.

Witnesses JAooB W. PERKINS, DENIS B. CANNON. 

